I remember on my fortieth birthday my family organized a special party. Everyone especially my kids and hubby were really excited, they wanted to give me a surprise but me being a one man army when it comes to my house work, nothing can be hidden from me. So that was something which they weren’t really happy about but can they really do anything about it? of course not..hahaaha. Amidst the wishes, something struck me, don’t know what but all I could hear was, ” we are sorry you have reached so far”, I know it was all in my head, It was my imagination but that made me question myself, ‘ Where did my life go? ,’Have I achieved anything worthwhile? I couldn’t believe I am already in my forties.
But to be frank I am a positive sole, who love herself too much to be affected by all these but I know people who do get paranoid and get into their own cocoon. This is probably the midpoint of your life. For the first time you must have noticed grey hair, weight gain, wrinkles, the real sign of ageing. Why forties are stressful? have you ever thought? The major life event occurs during this time, deteriorating health of parents, children leaving home and that’s why emotionally you are completely drained out while taking stock of current situation. After years of striving to make it to the top professionally and personally, your career and life may also reach a plateau. So, it is quite natural to feel boredom or disenchantment to set in. Menopause is another well-known effect during this time which can be extremely depressing. Self-questioning, unexpected anger, lack of motivation, self-doubt, lack of ambition, depression, anxiety, attracted towards unhealthy options are few symptoms during this phase.
But hold on, this can also be a time for healthy changes that lead to a fulfilling middle and older age.
Can we deal with this?
Coping with mid-life crisis definitely takes time and effort, but it can help you find greater satisfaction and pleasure in life.
- Acceptance is the key. Accept that ageing is inevitable and decline is not. With acceptance, you allow yourself to grieve losses and which is absolutely needed and normal too.
- Sharing will bring peace. By sharing your feelings, you can relive fears and frustration that you are going through.
- Introspect what happened, what is happening and what can happen. Make it a habit of spending time thinking about your life. This will give you a better perspective towards life.
- Rediscover you relationship with your partner. This will help you to bond better with them.
- Set new SMART goals for yourself that are exciting and realistic too.
- Try out new things and surprise yourself. Be it sport, hobby or a certification courses which can add value in your life.
- Make a travel itinerary. Visit places which have always fascinated you. This will provide you with some rich experience at the same time can make you feel refreshed.
- Contribute towards society, by working with non-profit organizations, this will give you peace of mind and immense satisfaction. You will feel fulfilled.
- Spend quality time with your loved ones especially your children.
- Maintain healthy lifestyle, by eating healthy food, indulging in fitness regime like, yoga, gym etc.
Look at mid-life as your greatest opportunity. It may help you to takeout time and write down a list of all things that you would like to achieve with the second half of your life. Instead of imagining your life bleak, visualize it as a full of opportunities and possibilities. Allow your mid-life to be a time of creative change. Although it may be painful at first, it can be your greatest opportunity for having the life you want or gaining a sense of peace.
Chris Wildt has rightly said ” I have decided middle age is hard to determine- it depends on how long you live”.
This Post is a part of Blogchatter’s #CauseAChatter Program.
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